Review: FRANKENSTEIN: RESURRECTION at Nocturne Theatre

When Mary Shelley first published “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” in 1818, there’s no way she could have known that she was creating a whole subgenre of horror, leading to a cottage industry of films (serious and comic), plays, graphic novels, parodies, and a place in pop culture rivaled by almost no other character from Gothic literature. 

Now, the Nocturne Theatre is launching into spooky season with an original sequel to Shelley’s classic. FRANKENSTEIN: RESURRECTION is a creative way to take the story and move it forward organically. This time, instead of bringing a man to life via science, Victor Frankenstein’s (Justin Meyer, who also wrote and directed) body is the one brought to life. He awakens in a secret laboratory beneath the Paris morgue, having been resurrected by obsessive Doctor Seraphina Pretorius (Kayla Fast). He soon becomes confident that the good doctor’s sister, Elsa (Jett Lafever), is the reincarnation of his lost love, Elizabeth. Drama ensues.

As with all the shows at the Nocturne, the creativity and energy are through the roof. Meyer has written a solid show and surrounded himself with a fantastic ensemble of cast and crew. The rock musical’s score and songs by Chris Thomas are moody and sinister, haunting and rousing with lots of pounding drums and cool synths. Choreographer Melissa Meyer stages creative movement as she makes great use of the theater in the round, using stairs and two balconies to make the place seem bigger. Costumes and the creature design by Tanya Cyr are awards worthy, and the scenic design by Jay Michael Roberts (who does double duty as the Creature) is spooky and steampunk in equal measure. The effects team (Tanya Cyr, Sydni Sawyer, Spike Braun, Guy Michael, Corvis Gonzalez, CJ Zeleznice, and Suzie) is peerless.

And then there’s that cast. How Justin Meyer was able to perform one of the central roles while producing, writing, directing, and handling the lighting is a marvel. He has an astonishing voice. Roberts, hidden beneath pelts of fur, makeup, and effects still makes the Creature sympathetic and more human than some of the humans. And the two sisters, Seraphina and Elsa, are superb, playing off each other beautifully. It’s especially pleasing to have two such complex female leads without reducing them to fighting over a boy.

The existential questions at the core of the show (and any Frankenstein story, really) are to be grappled with in our individual conscience, each audience member finding where they land on their own answers. Victor, seeing it from the other side now, has a different set of problems to ponder as he has become a literal monster. But in some ways, the questions are the same for the audience as they were back in 1818. Is it worth it to fiddle around with nature when the results are unnatural? Is God to be found in science? To what ends can we go while still pretending it’s for the greater good and not just ego?

The only drawback to the show was that it was a little difficult to clock when it took place. The dialogue was a little convoluted so there was some uncertainty. That’s a quibble, however, considering the show is a swing for the fences like every show at the Nocturne is. The Meyers (a married couple who are hands-on in creating these original musicals and who own the venue) take chances and they pay off. It seems audiences are still finding this theater. It’s a little off the beaten track compared to, say, Hollywood, but it’s just a few minutes from Atwater Village. I hope more people go those extra couple of miles to check out this show—or any show at the theater, actually—because I think they will be greatly impressed. There’s a consistency here not found in many theaters.

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